The present invention relates to a motor fuel composition comprising hydrocarbons and alcohols. The motor fuel is particularly intended for use in automobiles, but can be used in other engines such as boat engines and aircraft engines. The motor fuel composition of the present invention comprises gasoline which, as is well known, is essentially a hydrocarbon mixture having suitable volatility for operating internal combustion engines with spark ignition. The motor fuel composition can contain other additives such as oiliness agents, gum solvents, dyes, gum inhibitors, antioxidants, rust preventatives, and the like. The motor fuel can also contain lead additives. However, one of the advantages of the composition of the present invention is that it provides a relatively high-octane gasoline without the use of lead additives, or with the use of only a relatively small amount (e.g. 1.5 cc alkyl lead additive per gallon of motor fuel) of lead additive.
The use of alcohols in gasoline-boiling-range hydrocarbons has been suggested in a number of patents.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,839,362 and 2,596,198 suggest the use of methyl alcohol in gasoline.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,662,817 and 2,726,942 disclose the use of methyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol in gasoline.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,850,368 discloses the use of isopropyl alcohol and secondary butyl alcohol in gasoline. U.S. Pat. No. 2,197,378 discloses the use of isopropyl alcohol and n-butyl alcohol in gasoline.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,365,009; 2,404,094 and 2,408,999 all disclose the use of methyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and tertiary butyl alcohol, amongst a wide range of other possible alcohols, for use in gasoline. The latter three patents are directed to major amounts of alcohol containing a minor or small amount of hydrocarbon component; for example, 95 to 90 volume percent alcohol component with only 5 to 10 volume percent hydrocarbon component.
In addition to the above patents concerned primarily with alcohol-gasoline compositions, there are a number of patents directed to other additives for gasoline. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,083,087 is directed to use of benzyl esters in gasoline; U.S. Pat. No. 2,874,033 is directed to the use of isopropyl ether plus isopropyl alcohol in gasoline; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,399,227 is directed to the use of acetone in gasoline.